The natural teeth of an individual may be lost as a result of dental disease or trauma, making it desirable to replace such teeth with one or more prosthetic devices. An example of a prosthetic device is a dental implant which is surgically positioned within the mandibular of maxillary alveolar bone.
One type of dental implant has a first implant member for placement in an osteotomy site in the alveolar bone of a patient. Following healing, a head member, commonly called an abutment, is mounted in or on the first implant member and a tooth simulating prosthesis or crown is then mounted on the abutment, or in the case of edentulous individuals, a bridge supporting abutment is mounted in the first implant member. A successful system of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,623. In that patent, a first implant or root member having a first or outer end formed with a female socket circumscribed by a shoulder and having a suitable anchoring means, such as outwardly extending fins, is placed in an osteotomy site or implant receiving cavity in the alveolar bone with suitable surgical instruments and techniques. The first implant member is inserted into the cavity with the upper portion of the member a selected distance below the opening of the cavity, that is, below the crest of the bone, e.g., two or three millimeters. A healing plug is inserted into a female socket of the first implant member and particles of a natural and/or synthetic bone growth stimulating grafting material are then packed within the cavity around the shoulder of the implant member and the wound is then allowed to heal for four to six weeks or longer until osseointegration has been completed.
Following healing, the dentist surgically accesses and removes the plug and replaces it with an abutment. The abutment has a male portion received within the female socket and an intermediate, outer, generally hemispherical surface portion which may extend through the surface of the crest of the bone which had previously been reamed to form a complimentary configuration when forming the cavity. The hemispherical surface portion is non-irritating to soft tissue and promotes mucosal healing. A prosthetic device can be attached to the abutment.
During the healing process care must be taken to avoid the transmission of forces on the implant which could cause dehiscence of the integrating implant. In the case of an edentulous individual, this would mean that solid foods would have to be eschewed for the healing period of four to six weeks or longer.